In a bit of questionable salesmanship, the ad for today’s Nice Price or No Dice Land Rover describes it as being “a primitive and uncomfortable ride on the highway!” Let’s decide what such a Paleolithic beast might reasonably be worth.
There’s an old joke about an accordion player who is traveling one day and, after stopping for lunch, discovers, to their horror, that someone has broken into their car and… deposited three more accordions within it. That’s not to say that the seller of yesterday’s 2008 Pontiac Solstice GXP T2 SCCA Championship Edition faced such a dilemma, but their ad did offer two Solstices for sale. The one we were interested in was a rare one of 88 SCCA championship model, and at $12,995, it barely pulled off a win, earning a razor-thin 51 percent Nice Price vote.
Having 15 minutes of fame, as Andy Warhol once postulated, is the non-musical equivalent of being a one-hit wonder. Whether on TikTok, Instagram, or some other online milieu, there’s always someone rising in the popular zeitgeist only to eventually ebb back into obscurity. Some do break out and enjoy enduring fame, but most are quickly forgotten.
One recent recipient of a quick rise in fame who may have some staying power in the social consciousness—or at least in our automotive community—is a young English woman named Tatiana Reed, who parlayed her love for her constantly breaking down Land Rover Series III into a shared experience through social media. Reed, who has been documenting her travels and travails with her Landy—Blue Tit—has been warmly embraced by even those outside the Land Rover faithful for her plucky perseverance, unflagging enthusiasm, and witty, engaging personality. And to think, it all started with a rough and tumble Land Rover.
To see what could engender such an experience, today we’re going to look at a 1981 Land Rover Series III 109 diesel. As evidenced by the 109 in the name, this is the long wheelbase (109 inches) edition, featuring a rather unique convertible pickup truck aesthetic when the top is removed. From the B pillar forward, it’s the same as the smaller 90, but the extended wheelbase allows for lots more room in the back—enough so for a quartet of fold-down bench seats bolted to the sides. That’s in addition to the three seats up front, making this quite the people hauler.
Of course, those people had better not be in a hurry as the Land Rover’s 2.25-liter diesel four only manages a meager 62 horsepower, and, being 4WD, these trucks are fairly heavy.
According to the ad, this privately imported truck was taken on trade by the dealer, who is now selling it. In addition to the diesel four, it offers the standard four-speed manual, but with an added Global Roamer overdrive. That makes freeway speeds attainable, given enough flat road and no headwinds. The seller, however, cautions that this truck is crude and unpleasant to drive in such a manner, claiming it’s noisy, leaky, and rattly. For some people—like the preternaturally plucky Tati Reed, apparently—that’s a feature, not a bug.
Other aspects of note about this clean-title, 55,000-mile Landy: it smokes upon start-up but clears up when warm and is rough around all its edges. This is the later five-main engine, which is a good bit stouter than the earlier units, but it’s still an old Land Rover oil burner and, hence, will likely require some love along the way, probably on the side of the road.
On the plus side, the truck’s 4WD system is claimed to work without issue, and it comes with both the wagon roof shown in the ad and the shorter pickup roof that encloses just the front three seats. It also comes with new BFG knobbies, plus refreshed side curtains and windows for the doors. It’s not entirely ready to rock and roll, however.
The seller seems very forthcoming in noting both the driving experience and the work still needed to fully enjoy (or be reviled by) that experience. Those include chassis wiring issues and repairing some rust damage in the frame. The seller is asking $13,500 for the opportunity to take on this Land Rover adventure—and possibly become the next Instagram celebrity.
What’s your take on this Landy and that $13,500 asking? Does that appear fair, given the truck’s presentation? Or is that too much for something that’s actually being promoted as being unpleasant?
You decide!
Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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